Date I made these recipes:
December 4, 2016 – Holiday Party Food!
Chowgirls Killer
Party Food – Righteous Bites & Cocktails For Every Season by Heidi
Andermack & Amy Lynn Brown
Published by Arsenal Pulp Press
ISBN: 978-1-55152-645-4; ©2016
Recipes: Wild Mushroom Hotdish – p. 84 and Swiss Chard
Gratin – p. 90
Okay, folks, make a note of this website right now because
we're going to come back to it and there's going to be a quiz: www.chowgirls.net
www.chowgirls.net is
the home base of Chowgirls Killer
Catering and also where you can find information to buy the book I'm
featuring today, Chowgirls Killer Party
Food. Chowgirls Killer Party Food is a new release by Chowgirls co-owners Heidi Andermack and
Amy Lynn Brown who I have met and who are responsible for today's featured
"killer" party food.
You're welcome.
As often happens, there is a backstory about how I came to
buy this book and make these recipes and so without further ado: several years ago, when these ladies were just
getting their business underway, they catered an event I attended and I was
blown away by their food. I think we can
all agree that there is "catered food" (small "c") and then
there is CATERED (and killer) food, and the "Big C" was what I
sampled that night and a few other times thereafter.
Then a few months ago, I noticed that they had just
published a cookbook (be still my cookbook-loving heart, right?) and so I made
a mental note to buy it and then just like that, opportunity presented itself
in the form of a sampling and book signing at local floral powerhouse, Bachman's, during a holiday event in
early November. (Side note: Bachman's
floral and garden center also stocks an incredible selection of holiday
decorations and doo dads which you must – must – check out either in store or
online at www.bachmans.com)
So I went to the event and I talked to Chowgirls owners Heidi and Amy, and introduced myself by saying
something like "Well, you ladies should know that I have a huge cookbook
collection and your book just became number 2,324 in my collection. And I also blog about my cookbook collection
and so will soon be including yours."
As always, stunned silence ensued. Because yes, that is a large number of
cookbooks and it's ever growing as I am always on the lookout for books to add
to my collection under the adage "If some is good, more is better."
I also told Heidi and Amy that my husband and I were weeks
away from hosting our 8th
annual holiday open house, and so I was especially interested in looking
through their cookbook's recipes to add to our holiday table of finger-food
appetizers and sweet treats.
As it happened,
they were sampling their "Swiss Chard Gratin" at the Bachman's event and I, who never met a
Swiss Chard recipe I liked before then (it can be so bitter), fell in love with
it. How could I not, it's got melted Gouda in it? Cheese "fixes" everything!
So I left the
event determined to add it to our line-up and then after much perusal and
consultation with my husband, decided to go for broke and make also the "Wild
Mushroom Hotdish" to go with the gratin.
You should know
that I am not necessarily a mushroom person, either. And here's a quick and amusing story as to
why:
When I was a kid, my maternal
grandmother, an immigrant from Eastern Europe,
dried several varieties of mushrooms and made them into a soup that made her
children swoon. The grandchildren? Not so much.
So one year when I was about 13,
one of my older cousins threw a Christmas Eve party for family and friends, and
one of my uncles recreated grandma's soup but oh darn, forgot it at home. He would have left it there too, had there
not been complete and absolute rebellion from the adult, and so he drove the
short distance back to his house to get it and my brother and some other
cousins and I rode shotgun.
In our opinion, and to our young
noses though, that soup reeked! Oh my
god, to this day, I can still smell it.
And so we made him drive back to the party house with the windows down in
the middle of winter so we could tolerate (barely) the stinkin' soup that now
riding shotgun in a "seat" of honor.
When we got in the house, the
adults fell on the soup tureen, crying with joy that grandma's soup had been
delivered unto them on that snowy Christmas Eve. (And then after partying quite
a few hours, the adults went to midnight mass which I heard was hilarious but
that's another story for another day.)
Meanwhile, my cousins and I hit the
chip and dip table, the end.
But that was then,
this is now, and these recipes had me at "hello," turning my culinary
landscape from a decided "Oh hell no," to a "Oh yes,
please!"
So after an email consultation with Amy, who I must say is
very, very good about answering their emails, I set to work a couple days in
advance to make and then refrigerate these recipes.
Shall I tell you that after putting each mixture into a
baking dish, I licked the bowls clean?
As in thoroughly clean. As in a
dishwasher could not have done a better job.
This from the gal who didn't really like Swiss Chard and is
sometimes "meh" on the whole mushroom concept.
In fact, I wondered whether I wanted to even bake these as
the "raw" mixture was so good, but there are, I think, unwritten
culinary rules about these things and the recipes were in a "cook"
book so I went ahead and "cooked" them just before the start of the
party and served them with crackers and baguettes.
And so the party got underway and those "in the
know" know to come early for best seats and eats as we do indeed put on
quite a spread. And there is always this ritual "stalking" of the two
tables (one table for hot foods like these recipes, and one for other
appetizers and desserts) that takes place, during which time everyone examines
the food cards
that I put next to the dishes identifying what they are about to eat. Questions
are asked, recipes are clarified, and then at some point, a silent, secret
signal is triggered and everybody digs in at once! I should really film it some day as it's the
equivalent to animals stalking prey in the wild only with people and food and
it's hilarious to say the least.
In fact, I often picture myself as Marlon Perkins of the TV show, Mutual
of Omaha's Wild Kingdom (TV show from the 60's and 70's), providing running
commentary along the lines of "The guests are circling the turkey
meatballs, Jim [sidekick], waiting for an opening so they can pounce. But there seems to be some kind of
disturbance brewing further down the hot food table and it appears that two of
them are battling over a serving spoon.
Let's see if we can creep up there quietly to take a closer look....
But all "stalking aside," nothing was more
hilarious than a comment a long-time friend and party guest made about the Chowgirls dishes, but first you need some
background information.
Given that I have 2,324 (now 2,340—you see how this works!)
cookbooks, it stands to reason that I have some by famous celebrity chefs and
cookbook authors such as Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa), Martha Stewart, Rachael Ray, James Beard,
and so on, and I have found that telling the guests whose recipe we're serving
gives them comfort.
As an example, several guests (and I as well) are fans of Ina Garten because her recipes are
elegant but easy to make. Ina's recipes
have likely graced our party table every year since the party's inception and
so on the food card, I usually note "Ina Garten's XXX," (or Martha
Stewart's YYY") and every ooh's and aah's, and says "I really like
the Ina recipe. Can I get it from
you?" The short answer is of course, "Yes."
So to showcase (and show off) the Chowgirl's recipes, I designated
on the food card which recipes were theirs.
But keep in mind that space on these place cards is limited so I wrote
something like "Chowgirl
Catering's Swiss Chard Gratin," and "Chowgirl Catering's Wild Mushroom Hotdish" and left it at
that.
So people were eating and dialoguing about the recipes
(which they loved) and all was well and then I had this head-scratching
conversation with the above-referenced friend that went like this:
Friend: "Well, the food was great as usual, but
I'm really surprised that you outsourced two of the recipes this year. That isn't like you!"
Me:
"What? What are you talking about?"
Friend: "Well, you got those two dishes from Chowgirls Catering this year!"
Bless. I quickly
informed him that we never, ever outsource.
Never. In fact, my husband, who
is pretty mild-mannered and laid back, takes great pride in the fact that he
bakes several types of home-made crackers for the party, telling a friend
recently, "Look, you need to come [to the party] because we make our own
f'ng crackers!"
Said friend was unbelievably on the fence about attending
until Andy said this. Said friend now
asks us regularly for recipes. Said
friend is a smart man.
And so with permission, I am happy to reprint below the
most-excellent recipes for Chowgirls
Killer Catering's "Swiss Chard Gratin" and "Wild Mushroom
Hotdish" (which I will call a "casserole" because that's how I
roll) that I made all by myself with my own two hands. You will love them.
But then as promised, both to them and to you, let's turn
our attention back to their website – www.chowgirls.net
- so I can tell you in earnestness to
buy their book. BUY IT. Right now.
"Operators are standing by...."
Because not only is this a great cookbook to which I will
return for future parties, but as the saying goes (and pun intended),
"These gal's gotta eat!" In
other words, they did not write and publish a cookbook just for the joy [of
cooking] it, they did it to earn some dough, pun again intended. So let's help them out.
Their website lists all the independent bookstores that carry
this "killer" cookbook, most of which are local, but you will also
see that they are doing singings at bookstores in other parts of the country so
perhaps you can pick it up at an independent bookstore near you. If not, fear not: Amazon
and Barnes and Noble carry it online.
Before I get to the actual recipes, let me just share some
shopping and baking tips regarding these recipes with you:
*I made half of each recipe because we serve so much food at
our party that half recipes work out well.
And Amy said I could and so there.
*Even though the truffle oil in the "Wild Mushroom
Hotdish" is optional, Amy highly recommended it. But I did a quick cost-benefit analysis at
the grocery store, and at $9.00 a bottle (the lowest-price bottle I could find)
I couldn't justify buying it since I was using only a few drops. Actually, less than a few drops since I made
half a recipe. But don't let my math deter you: if you want it, buy it!
*The mushroom recipe calls for you to chop the cremini
mushrooms but thinly slice the portobello and the shiitake. I decided to finely chop everything under the
rationale that smaller-sized mushrooms would be easier to serve. I had visions of one, large piece of
portobello "dragging" smaller pieces of the other mushrooms behind
it, wiping out half my dish in one fell swoop! (I have a vivid imagination!)
*Let's talk breadcrumbs:
I added them as directed, but I think next time around I may go rogue
and leave them off. I don't mind
breadcrumbs, but I've used them on a couple of recipes as of late, and then
later thought better of it as I'd rather taste what's underneath. Just a personal preference.
*Then as to shopping, for whatever reason, I had a hard time
sourcing "Swiss" Chard and so I used Rainbow Chard instead, sourced at
Target. One bunch will do.
*And although several grocery stories stocked fresh
mushrooms, only Kowalski's had the
three mushrooms used in this dish: cremini,
shiitake, and portobello caps. So hooray
for Kowalski's.
*Finally, Amy said I could bake these in advance and reheat
(and I'll include instructions below), but I made the mixtures in advance,
refrigerated them, and then baked them off just before serving. Either way, the results are great, and I
inhaled the leftovers (and they were scant) pretty much the minute I took them
off the table after the party ended. And
perhaps it's me, but I have this "thing" for cold food, and I'm
telling you, this stuff is the bomb hot, cold, or somewhere in between.
This then, concludes my rather long blog (when are they
not?), but I felt I had to do justice to these two "killer" caterers and
their "killer" cookbook and their "killer" recipes. (You have now been subjected to subliminal
messaging. Go buy their book!)
And now we return you to their two recipes in their entirety
with many thanks to Heidi and Amy who were just delightful to talk to and work
with on this party food endeavor.
Swiss Chard Gratin –
Makes 3 cups (750 mL) or 24 servings
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 large shallot, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 bunch Swiss chard (about 4 cups [1 L])
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 oz (230 g) cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup (160 mL) mayonnaise
½ cup (125 mL) milk
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup (250 mL) fresh breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste (for breadcrumb topping)
1 tbsp melted butter (for breadcrumb topping)
Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
In a large frying pan on medium-high heat, melt olive oil
and butter. When sizzling, add shallots,
garlic, and jalapeno, and sauté for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to brown the
garlic. (Ann's Note: my Sicilian relatives drilled into my head
the dire consequences of burning garlic so I don't! Burned garlic turns bitter and who wants
bitter food besides "not me?")
Stir in the chopped chard, salt, and pepper and raise heat to high. Sauté, tossing continuously, 1-2 minutes,
until chard is partially wilted. Remove
from heat, drain off excess liquid, and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment,
combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, milk, garlic powder, and nutmeg. Mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds
until smooth. Stir in cheese and cooked chard.
Pour mixture into a 1-quart (1-L) casserole dish or medium
cast-iron frying pan. In a small bowl,
toss the breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, and melted butter until lightly
coated. Top chard mixture with
breadcrumbs and bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, until sides are bubbling
and crumbs are toasted.
Ann's Note: Per Amy, you can make and freeze this recipe
in advance and then reheat, or you can make it for up to three days in advance
and refrigerate and then reheat.
If you want to make it and freeze it, she recommends putting
the mixture into an airtight freezer bag, then thaw and transfer to a casserole
dish. Add the breadcrumbs just before
baking, if desired.
If you bake the dish in advance and want to reheat it, put
it into a 325 oven then heat,
covered, for 15 minutes, uncovered for 5-10 minutes until bubbling.
I split the difference and made up the mixture in advance
but then didn't bake it until the day of the party at which point, I baked it
at 350 degrees as directed in the recipe above.
Wild Mushroom Hotdish
– Makes 4 cups (1 L) or about 30 servings
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
8-oz (230-g) cremini mushrooms, chopped
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large portobello mushroom caps, thinly sliced
8-oz (230-g) shiitake, oyster, or other mushroom variety,
sliced
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
½ cup (125 mL) milk
½ cup (125 mL) heavy cream
½ cup (125 mL) grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/8 tsp truffle oil (optional)
¾ cup (175 mL) breadcrumbs tossed with 2 tbsp melted butter
Preheat oven to 350F (180C)
In a large frying pan on high heat, melt 1 tbsp butter with
1 tbsp olive oil. Working in small
batches, add cremini mushrooms, salt, and pepper and sauté for 3-5 minutes,
until soft. Remove mushrooms and set aside.
Melt another tablespoon butter and olive oil, and, working
in small batches, sauté portobello and shiitake mushrooms for about 5 minutes,
until soft. Remove mushrooms and set
aside.
Reduce heat to low and melt 1 tablespoon butter. Whisk in flour to make a roux. When roux begins to brown, stir in milk and
cream. On medium heat, bring to a
boil. Add cheese and whisk until
bubbling and thick. Stir in cooked
mushrooms. Season to taste. Stir in truffle oil.
Transfer to a 2-qt (2-L) casserole dish or cast-iron frying
pan. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over top and
bake for 30-35 minutes, until heated through and breadcrumbs are browned.
Ann's Note: Per Amy, you can make and freeze this recipe
in advance and then reheat, or you can make it for up to three days in advance
and refrigerate and then reheat.
If you want to make it and freeze it, she recommends putting
the mixture into an airtight freezer bag, then thaw and transfer to a casserole
dish. Add the breadcrumbs just before
baking, if desired.
If you bake the dish in advance and want to reheat it, put
it into a 325 oven then heat,
covered, for 15 minutes, uncovered for 5-10 minutes until bubbling.
I split the difference and made up the mixture in advance
but then didn't bake it until the day of the party at which point, I baked it at
350 degrees as directed in the recipe above.
